Auto Industry News in Wichita, KS | Shamrock Tire & Auto Repair

25

A Brief History of the Tire

posted on 8/25/2016 7:45:18 AM

The tire is such a commonplace item -- it's on every car, every truck, every bicycle, every aircraft. It's easy to not give the tire a second thought, but like every other technology, the tire has an interesting history of advances and failures. In the 19th century, carriages and wagons used steel strips for "tires" on their wheels, with the punishing sort of ride that you'd expect. In later years, they were shod with strips of natural rubber, which was an improvement but was still problemat...

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25

What's Leaking From My Car?

posted on 8/25/2016 7:26:00 AM

You go out to your car, start it up, pull out of your parking space and see a puddle of...something...where you were parked a moment ago. This is never a good feeling. What could it be? Fortunately, some automotive fluids are dyed different colors to make this a little easier to narrow down. Does it appear to be water? Were you recently running your A/C? Chances are that's just condensation from the A/C system, which drips out through a rubber tube and is perfectly nor...

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19

A/C Problems Demystified

posted on 7/19/2016 1:00:35 PM

Believe it or not, the A/C system in your vehicle is fairly simple in principle and design. Like your refrigerator, it operates on a cycle of compression and expansion of a gas, known as refrigerant. The compressor turns the gas into a liquid, and as the gas evaporates it provides cooling. Like your refrigerator, its main components are: Compressor Condenser Receiver/dryer Thermostatic expansion valve Evaporator Refrigerant Blower The good news is most automotive A/C systems...

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14

So You Get A Flat Tire...What Now?

posted on 7/14/2016 8:55:00 AM

Nobody ever looks forward to a flat tire, and nobody ever says "well, that was a really good time" after having one. You can at least minimize the damage to your tire and danger to yourself, though.Flats vs BlowoutsIf you get a blowout, you'll know about it right away. Sometimes the tire can fail dramatically, with a bang as loud as a shotgun going off. Other times, it might just be a loss of air and a sudden change in your car's handling, followed by vibration, noise and a pu...

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14

Regular, Synthetic or Blend...What Kind of Oil Do I Need?

posted on 6/14/2016 9:31:00 AM

At one time, there were only a couple of choices for motor oil. Today, that is no longer the case, and hasn't been for quite some time. Here's a quick breakdown of what you need to consider when it's time for an oil change: Viscosity: Viscosity is how thick your oil is, and how it retains its pour properties at various temperatures. In this respect, synthetic oil is far superior. Conventional oils will thicken in cold weather and thin out when very hot, while the viscosity of synthe...

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14

The Latest in Green Tech Innovations for Tires

posted on 6/14/2016 9:06:00 AM

When it comes to your car, oil isn't the only thing there's a finite supply of. Rubber has its limits too, and it's estimated by 2020, the supply of natural rubber in the world may be outstripped by demand. And of course, tires require a great deal of oil to produce as well. Tire manufacturers are constantly looking for ways to innovate and conserve resources in tire production. Here are some recent advances: Dandelions: Yes, those humble yellow flowers you try to eliminate from you...

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11

4 Things About Tires You May Not Have Known

posted on 5/11/2016 7:09:00 AM

Tires all look sort of the same…round and black…and people tend to think tires don’t change much over the years. That’s really not true, though – engineers and designers are constantly working on advances in tire designs for more miles, better fuel economy and better performance.Here’s a rundown of current trends in tire technology you may not have been aware of: Tall, skinny tires are coming back. If you’ve ever ridden a beach cruiser bike vs. a racin...

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10

Cars That Last 250,000 Miles or More

posted on 5/10/2016 3:22:00 PM

If you’re old enough, you probably remember the cars from the late 70s and early 80s that weren’t good for much more than 120,000 miles before they started to develop real problems and were junkyard bound. Today, thanks to improvements in design, metallurgy, manufacturing techniques and machining, those days are over and it’s not at all unusual to see vehicles with well over 200,000 miles on the odometer and still running strong.Here’s a quick rundown of some vehicles to...

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08

Self-Inflating Tires…Soon To Be A Reality?

posted on 4/8/2016 12:41:00 PM

Driving around on underinflated tires is just a bad idea all the way around. Underinflated tires increase a car’s rolling resistance, meaning a drop in fuel efficiency since it takes more energy to move the vehicle down the road. A single tire that’s down by ten pounds of air means a 3.3 percent drop in fuel economy…multiply that by all four tires, and you can figure on giving up ten percent of your gas mileage. The added friction and rolling resistance also means more heat is...

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07

Questions You Shouldn’t Be Afraid to Ask Your Auto Repair Tech

posted on 4/7/2016 6:38:08 PM

Often, drivers are mystified by how their cars actually work. It’s to be expected. Even an older car is a complex machine with many sub-assemblies that all work together to move it down the road. As a result, drivers tend to be a little intimidated by auto repair and often tend to not inform themselves by asking the necessary questions of a tech or a garage. Too often, that ends up being a big mistake. Here are some examples of the kinds of things you really should know before any auto repair ...

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News

A Brief History of the Tire

What's Leaking From My Car?

A/C Problems Demystified

So You Get A Flat Tire...What Now?

Regular, Synthetic or Blend...What Kind of Oil Do I Need?

The Latest in Green Tech Innovations for Tires

4 Things About Tires You May Not Have Known

Cars That Last 250,000 Miles or More

Self-Inflating Tires…Soon To Be A Reality?

Questions You Shouldn’t Be Afraid to Ask Your Auto Repair Tech

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